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Python Language: Modules: The FOSSEE Group

This document discusses Python modules, including how to organize code into modules, import modules, and ensure modules run properly as scripts or when imported. Key points covered include using modules to organize similar functionality, the .py extension for module files, importing modules using import or from, using __name__ to check if a module is run as a script or imported, and examples of creating and running standalone script modules.

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Arvind Garg
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© © All Rights Reserved
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28 views

Python Language: Modules: The FOSSEE Group

This document discusses Python modules, including how to organize code into modules, import modules, and ensure modules run properly as scripts or when imported. Key points covered include using modules to organize similar functionality, the .py extension for module files, importing modules using import or from, using __name__ to check if a module is run as a script or imported, and examples of creating and running standalone script modules.

Uploaded by

Arvind Garg
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Python language: modules

The FOSSEE Group


Department of Aerospace Engineering
IIT Bombay

Mumbai, India

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Python modules

Outline

1 Python modules

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Python modules

Modules

Organize your code


Collect similar functionality
Functions, classes, constants, etc.

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Python modules

Modules

Define variables, functions and classes in a file


with a .py extension
This file becomes a module!
File name should be valid variable name

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Python modules

Modules . . .

The import keyword “loads” a module


One can also use:
from module import name1, name2
where name1 etc. are names in the module,
module
from module import * — imports
everything from module, use only in interactive
mode

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Python modules

Note on module file names

Should start with a letter or underscore


Can use _ (underscore) and numbers
No . allowed
No spaces or special characters

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Python modules

Test

1_script.py
script_1.py
one11.py
_one11.py
one script.py
one,script;xxx.py
one.two.py

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Python modules

Modules: example

# --- fib.py ---


some_var = 1
def fib(n):
"""Print Fibonacci series up to n.
"""
a, b = 0, 1
while b < n:
print(b, end=’ ’)
a, b = b, a+b
# EOF

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Python modules

Modules: example

>>> import fib


>>> fib.fib(10)
1 1 2 3 5 8
>>> fib.some_var
1

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Python modules

Python path
In IPython type the following

import sys
sys.path

List of locations where python searches for a


module
import sys – searches for file sys.py or dir
sys in all these locations
Modules can be in any one of the locations
Current working directory is one of the locations
Can also set PYTHONPATH env var
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Python modules

Running a module

Let us say we want to run some code in fib.py


so we get:

$ python fib.py
1 1 2 3 5 8

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Python modules

Modules: Running a module


# --- fib.py ---
some_var = 1
def fib(n):
"""Print Fibonacci series up to n.
"""
a, b = 0, 1
while b < n:
print(b, end=’ ’)
a, b = b, a+b

fib(10)
# EOF
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Python modules

Modules: example

>>> import fib


1 1 2 3 5 8

So the code is called even when we import the


module
We do not want this!

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Python modules

Using __name__
import fib
The import is successful
But fib(10), gets run
Add it to the following if block
if __name__ == "__main__":
fib(10)
Now the script runs properly
As well as the import works; the code is not
executed
__name__ is local to every module and is equal to
’__main__’ only when the file is run as a script.
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Python modules

Using __name__
import fib
The import is successful
But fib(10), gets run
Add it to the following if block
if __name__ == "__main__":
fib(10)
Now the script runs properly
As well as the import works; the code is not
executed
__name__ is local to every module and is equal to
’__main__’ only when the file is run as a script.
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Python modules

Modules: using __name__


# --- fib.py ---
def fib(n):
"""Print Fibonacci series up to n.
"""
a, b = 0, 1
while b < n:
print(b, end=’ ’)
a, b = b, a+b

print(__name__)
if __name__ == ’__main__’:
fib(10)
# EOF
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Python modules

Modules: using __name__

>>> import fib


Try this:
$ python fib.py

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Python modules

Stand-alone scripts

Consider a file f.py:


#!/usr/bin/env python
"""Module level documentation."""
# First line tells the shell that it should use Python
# to interpret the code in the file.
def f():
print "f"

# Check if we are running standalone or as module.


# When imported, __name__ will not be ’__main__’
if __name__ == ’__main__’:
# This is not executed when f.py is imported.
f()

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Python modules

Standard library
Operating system interface: os, os.path
System, Command line arguments: sys
Regular expressions: re
Math: math, random
Internet access: urllib, smtplib
Data compression: zlib, gzip, bz2, zipfile,
and tarfile
Unit testing: doctest and unittest
And a whole lot more!
Check out the Python Library reference:
http://docs.python.org/lib/lib.html
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Python modules

Summary

Creating modules
Importing modules
Running modules as scripts
__name__

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